Adelaide Thunderbirds defeated the Queensland Firebirds 50-48 in the trans-Tasman Netball Grand Final, winning their 13th game in a row and becoming the first Australian netball side to win the Grand Final for a second time.

The Firebirds last claimed the trans-Tasman Netball Championships in 2011 after defeating the Northern Mystics 57-44.

Grand Final 2013

In a bruising first quarter Grand Final nerves resulted in several turn overs.

The Thunderbirds opened the scoring off the centre pass and continued to lead until just over half way through the quarter.

With 6:40 to go, the Thunderbirds broke back and regained the lead.

At 1:50 the Firebirds broke back, and a three-goal unanswered streak placed the Queensland ahead by four, to finish the first quarter 13 to the Thunderbirds 9.

Through the second quarter the physicality of the match continued.

The Firebirds controlled most of the quarter until with four minutes to go Borrego was left unguarded twice.

Two easy goals were the result and the Thunderbird drew equal.

A long bomb from Erin Bell helped to get the T-Birds back in the fight and at halftime the Thunderbirds led 24-23.

The third quarter turned the tide for the Thunderbirds.

Firebird shooter Romelda Aiken grabbed at a twinging calf and wing attack Chelsea Pittman fell to the floor with an injured knee after an on-ball collision with Adelaide centre NatalieVon Bertouch.

The Thunderbirds managed their infamous under-pressure turnaround to stretch their half time one-goal lead to three.

At three-quarter time the Thunderbirds had powered back, in front of a delighted home ground crowd, to lead 40-34.

The Firebirds fought back in the final quarter to place the Thunderbirds lead under threat.

At timeout called by Thunderbirds captain Natalie Von Bertouch with 10 minutes to go as the Firebirds trailed by just one goal.

In a surprise move by T-Birds coach Jane Woodlands-Thompson, Natalie von Bertouch was pushed to wing attack and Leigh Waddington was brought of the bench to provide a fresh set of legs for Adelaide's centre court.

Jane's instructions for Waddington - "Run like you stole something."

The move swung the pendulum back to the Thunderbirds once more, with a four-goal lead with five-minutes remaining.

The Firebirds weren't finished though and came back to trail by just one goal with 45 seconds left in the game.

Patient play held out for the Thunderbirds and a late goal by Erin Bell secured the Thunderbirds a second trans-Tasman Grand Final win, the only team to do so in the history of the league, defeating the Firebirds 50 to 48.